It’s that time of year again: the start of cold/flu season. Many of you sent your kiddos back to school in the last week or 2, and with that comes the sharing of lots of germs. The question has started popping up: what do you do for immune boosting and limiting time spent sick? So I decided to go through my home & pull my various remedies. Some will definitely not apply to your needs, some may. I am NOT a doctor. I am a Mom who seeks out natural remedies to boost my kiddos immune systems & treat their symptoms whenever possible, resorting to conventional medicines as a final resort as needed, and sometimes they are needed. Also, we are generally very healthy. We have no known allergies or sensitivities. Many months go by that we take nothing more than our probiotics, and even those are rarely on a daily basis. My Mom is the nurse in our local Complimentary Medicine Clinic, so she’s a wealth of info for me as needed. I hope this helps give you some ideas as to things you may want to have on hand in your natural medicine cabinet. You’ll notice I don’t mention dosages below. I’m hesitant to recommend dosage because again, I’m not a doctor. I’d like you to research that further and consult your own trusted sources to determine that.
Back Row L to R:
Boiron Chestal kids/adults: I absolutely SWEAR by this cough syrup & when I shared last winter many others chimed in that they do too. Kids can use the adult version in smaller amounts too, so if you want just 1 go with the adult, I have 1 of each & never go without it. It worked very, very well on my kids nagging nighttime cough last year: http://amzn.to/2xaMYJa
Culturelle for kids probiotics: Definitely shop around, you can find it on sale via Vitacost & other outlets from time-to-time. My food co-op had it on sale a few months back & I bought several boxes for quite reasonable: http://amzn.to/2w714X1
PB 8 adult: I take these, I get them from Vitacost (my food co-ops sells them too but they’re a lot more expensive there). They’re very reasonably priced & I feel sufficient for my needs. I know there are a TON of probiotic options out there! We also drink kefir & eat sauerkraut to get a variety of good bugs. Vitacost has sales a LOT! https://www.vitacost.com/nutrition-now-pb-8-supports-digestive-health
Traditional Medicinals Echinacea Plus Elderberry Tea: I brew some up anytime the kids complain of not feeling well, at the 1st sign of symptoms, as well as just from time-to-time for general immune boosting. Kids love this tea with some raw, local honey as well! http://amzn.to/2vLoeHf
Metagenics Ultra Potent C: http://amzn.to/2gLXLm1
Redmond Clay First Aid (hydrated bentonite): I’m not seeing the hydrated clay on their site currently, but you can get their dry powder & add water to make your own paste. I also add the powder to my homemade toothpaste. https://redmond.life/shop/redmond-clay-powder-10-oz/
Poofy After Sun Spray: One of those products you hope you don’t need, but it’s amazing for sun or any type of burn: https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/products/1016-after-sun-spray-organic.aspx
Poofy Everything Salve: TRULY good for everything! Bug bites, stings, burns…. https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/products/1156-everything-salve-organic.aspx
Pictured below, the generic, bulk pellets: It’s awesome to be able to buy homeopathic pellets in bulk, definitely saves money & reaffirms what an alternatively-minded area I live in when I can get these over the counter at my pharmacy!
Front Row L to R:
Hyland’s Calcarea Fluorica: used to target teeth remineralization: http://amzn.to/2xOpjLF
Hyland’s Calcarea Phosphorica: also used to remineralize teeth: purchased on Amazon, not seeing it listed currently, my food co-op also sells many of the Hyland’s remedies.
Chamomilla (generic): I used these when my kids were teething. My local pharmacy stocks many homeopathic remedies in bulk!
Kali Bichromicum (generic): again from my local pharmacy. For cough symptoms, I can’t remember if it was for dry or wet cough, that definitely matters as you’d want a different remedy for a dry cough vs a wet one.
Nux Vomica (Boiron): I swear by this remedy for bellyaches, we never are without it! My kids ask for tummy pellets if they’re not feeling well!
Four Elements Echinacea: Pretty sure I got this at my food co-op. I add this to their elderberry syrup concoction when giving it for general immune boosting.
Montana Farmacy Japanese Knotweed: purchased at my food co-op for my Son’s Lyme’s symptoms.
Hawaii Pharm Cat’s Claw: purchased at my food co-op for my Son’s Lyme’s symptoms.
NutraMedix Stevia: Also for Lyme’s symptoms, purchased via Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gMdYYs
Cough Care: Mountain Rose Herbs, not currently seeing it listed….
Nature’s Answers Milk Thistle: from my food co-op, great for healthy liver support. This looks like a good option via Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gNDPz1
Herm Pharm Myrrh: Bought when I was dabbling in making my own mouth wash, then Poofy came out with theirs & I’ll never use anything else. But it also lists immune boosting properties so I’ll try to incorporate it there. Bought at my food co-op.
Josiah’s Germ Fight Blend for diffuser: You can select Fir Blend if you have young kids in the home. I also use Josiah’s Atomizing diffuser. This 2 oz bottle lasts me an entire cold/flu season: http://www.josiahsoils.com/store/p353/Germ_Fighting_Blend_%28Previously_%22Germ_Fighting_Thieves%22%29.html
Josiah’s Oils Germ Fight Blend Diluted: I use this topically at the 1st sign of symptoms. Kids know to ask for it & rub it on each other’s spines even! For the very youngest kids, select the Fir blend. At 4 & 6, my kids are using the regular blend now: http://www.josiahsoils.com/store/p349/Germ_Fighting_Roll-On_Blend_%28Pre-Diluted_and_Ready_to_Use%29.html
Josiah’s Oils Sniffles Blend: Slightly different than the germ fighting blend, I keep on hand for when I hear them start to sniffle. You can get it concentrated for the diffuser or select roll-on from the drop down menu for topical use: http://www.josiahsoils.com/store/p390/SNIFFLES%21_%28gentle_for_big_%26_lil%27_noses%29.html
Cold Bee Gone: Some use this as a preventative, others at 1st sign of symptoms: http://amzn.to/2eLqOpg (also available via my buying club for $9.95)
Front, center:
Bach Rescue Pastilles: I purchased these at my food co-op before we flew to Mexico. Many swear by Rescue Remedy, it comes in liquid & other forms, and for pets even: http://amzn.to/2wHP4Nv
St. Claire’s Tummy Soother’s (they also make throat soothers): purchased via Mountain Rose Herbs: https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search?page=1&q=tummy+soother&utf8=%E2%9C%93#product-1576
Not pictured (I’m sure there’s more I’m forgetting):
— I make elderberry syrup in the fall going into winter. I add wild-harvested dried ginseng & goldenseal powder (harvested by my Hubby. This is our go-to elixir for immune boosting. I do 3-4 days on, 3-4 off for general immune boosting. If they’re coming down with something I will give it twice/day for a couple days. I get 1# of dried elderberries from Mountain Rose Herbs for $14.50, this is enough to last all cold/flu season. I’ve adapted Wellness Mama’s Recipe (add ginseng & goldenseal as mentioned above, remove ginger & cloves as it made it too spicy for my kids): https://wellnessmama.com/1888/elderberry-syrup/. You can also buy the syrup already made (MRH is currently N/A, but they have extracts), just make sure you’re not getting additional unwanted ingredients in the syrup. Dried: https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/elder-berries/profile.
Humidifier! We heat with wood, and it makes for a very dry environment in the fall & winter months! We went with this one, it is made in China unfortunately but I love that it doesn’t get things wet at all around it! I’m going on my 3rd winter with it now! http://amzn.to/2yldRqs
–Arnica— I’m out. I get what my food co-op has, will comment when I re-stock!
–Poofy’s Vapor Rub, there is a blend for under or over 5 years old, I need a fresh tub to start this season off with: https://ecofriendlyusa.poofyorganics.com/search.aspx?searchterms=vapor
–Epic Dental Xylitol Mints. I’ve been working on Remineralizing my daughter’s teeth for a few years now & give her these mints 1-2 times/day after brushing: http://amzn.to/2wFZ9fo
In conclusion: am I saying you should run out & buy 1 of everything in the picture? Heck no! I’m just giving you some ideas & showing you my collection based on the needs of my family. Mountain Rose Herbs is an amazing resource for tinctures, elixirs, remedies of all sorts!
***Mountain Rose Herbs, Josiah’s Oils, Poofy Organics and Cold Bee Gone are all vendors in my upcoming buying club. You can purchase what you need from each of them (a total of 29 vendors offered in total) and have it all shipped to you in 1 flat/regional rate box! https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/buying-clubdeomy-poofy-organics/eco-friendly-usa-buying-club-2/
9/23/17, I added this kit to my collection! http://amzn.to/2xBB5v7
Being prepared makes me a happy Mama! Someone asked about a good kit last week, and I recommended Boiron because that’s the name I’m most familiar with. I learned about this brand, Helios, and they come highly recommended. They hand-dose their pellets vs using machines like the bigger companies. The company is based in the UK but I felt good supporting them vs Boiron or Hyland’s….Yes, this was $69, but for 36 remedies that’s less than $2 each!! Many of these are ones I use regularly, others are new to me & I’ll be reading up on them more. They list a 5 year expiration date, but they really never go bad if stored properly (out of sunlight & away from moisture).
Eco-friendly baby/family products MADE in USA 